In recent years, the field of electrochemical equipment and, more specifically, that of energy storage devices (i.e., batteries) has generally been characterized by a certain effervescence. In fact, ever increasing and evolving demand, research and development, and greater competition in the market place are all factors that are contributing to numerous innovations in this field. Moreover, manufacturers and users of EC devices are also envisioning alternate and diversified applications for these products.
The automotive industry, for example, has been seeking to commercialize a viable electrical vehicle for several decades now. An important element of such a vehicle is its battery. The battery must not only provide the requisite level of energy production but must also be durable. As a further example, the telecommunications industry also requires relatively durable and powerful batteries such as to provide a reliable and un-interruptible power source.
A number of advanced battery technologies have therefore recently been developed, such as metal hydride (e.g., Ni-MH), lithium-ion, and lithium polymer cell technologies, which would appear to provide the requisite level of energy production and safety margins for many commercial and consumer applications. Such advanced battery technologies, however, often exhibit characteristics that provide challenges for the manufacturers. In conventional battery design, individual cells are hardwired together and to the positive and negative power terminals of the battery. Such advanced and complex batteries, however, are relatively difficult and expensive to manufacture. For example, individual EC cells, which generally form the basis of batteries, are usually connected to one another by welding their respective components (i.e., electrodes and the like) onto a current collecting terminal in order to form an EC bundle (batteries generally comprising one or more EC bundles). In addition to being tedious, such a process is time-consuming, labor intensive, and costly.
Considering this background, it clearly appears that there is a need in the industry to develop a simpler and more cost-efficient method for connecting EC cells in order to form an EC bundle.